End of the Road
by boswifedeb
Summary: Looking forward to competing in a charity rodeo, Houston receives a surprising call from Michael: the country entertainer slated to play the event has been murdered. A mix of lies and lust await the detectives as they try to figure out the identity of the killer. Rated T. **Immediately follows "Missing"**
1. Chapter 1

"**End of the Road"**

****Immediately follows "Missing"****

"_**Heartbreak is good fuel for country songs. And cheating."  
>Miranda Lambert<strong>_

**CHAPTER 1**

"Ready?" Lamar Pettybone stood ready to release a calf from the chute as his boss, Matt Houston leaned forward in the saddle and gave nod. A few seconds later the chute was opened and Houston and his stallion Jasper were chasing down the calf, roping it in short order, flipping it onto its side, and then with the piggin' string that he had held in his teeth, the cowboy tied the calf's two rear feet and his right front together as the horse held pressure on the rope around the calf's neck. When Matt returned to the saddle and released the pressure, the calf needed to remain tied for at least six seconds. When the six seconds had passed Lamar called time. "Nine seconds! That's the best y'all have done."

"Good job, Jasper." Matt praised the horse as Bo removed the rope from the calf's neck and untied him, returning the piggin' string to his boss as he recoiled his rope.

CJ approached the pen with a smile on her face. It was good to see her husband doing something that he enjoyed so much and the fact that Jasper was part of the team was a truly amazing feat – a testimony to Matt's skill at training horses. "Hon, have you got a minute?"

"Sure do. Let's call it quits for the day, fellas. Thanks for the help." He rode the stallion over to the fence. "Ole Jasper here is about the best I've ever seen."

"You two make a great team." She reached up and began scratching the horse's jaw as he nuzzled at her. "I just got off the phone with Trent – he's been talking with Tamara Placer's lawyer."

Matt's face went from happy to aggravated in no time at all. "Now what?" The reporter had stolen Lamar's wallet a few weeks earier, retrieving the aging cowboy's code for the security gates and using it to trespass on the property and fly a drone over the Houstons. Matt had shot it down and had her arrested for trespassing, then filed a lawsuit against her. She in turn was suing him for loss of property.

"He wants to come to a settlement on the lawsuits." Knowing how stubborn he could be she had expected a less than jovial response. "If you'll drop the suit on her they'll drop the suit against you for the drone. But she wants you to return it." She watched as he looked away to his left at the Santa Monica Mountains.

"That could be kind of hard to do." Shifting in the saddle slightly he looked back down at her, that crooked grin that she loved now showing up.

"You got rid of it."

"That's putting it mildly."

"What did you do?"

"Used it for target practice. Wanted to make sure the shotgun was up to snuff. There isn't much left." He saw as a smile played at the corner of her lips as she shook her head at him and then giggled.

"Well, Channel 12 is concerned about the lawsuit damaging their reputation. Their attorneys have advised her to settle with you."

"And what does my attorney think?"

"I'm not the one handling the case, remember? I had just given birth when you had Trent file the suit."

"So what does my wife think then?"

Sighing, she continued to scratch on the stallion's jaw. "Hon, I know you want to prove a point and make an example of her but it might be best to just drop it."

"With one stipulation."

"Using five dollar words today are you?"

"I'll replace it; but she's not to come to the office, the ranch, or anywhere near me – what's that phrase you lawyers love so much...in perpetuity?"

"Now you're up to ten dollar phrases. Not bad. But given that she's a reporter they most likely will balk at that. You do tend to end up on the news occasionally."

"Not my problem."

"I'll tell Trent."

"What did he suggest?"

"The same thing I did." Wagging a finger at him, she kissed him as he leaned down. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're stubborn?"

"Seems like I've heard that a time or two somewhere." Grinning, he turned and started the horse toward the barn.

"Supper's ready."

"Be there as soon as Jasper is put away." He began whistling as he dismounted, the horse automatically following him through the barn and standing still as his owner began taking off the saddle. "Jasper, ya done good, buddy. I think we should be just fine at the rodeo." The horse nickered as he watched Matt carry the saddle and blanket back to the tack room. The pair was scheduled to take part in a charity rodeo in three days and the cowboy was looking forward to competing once again. It had been years since had taken part in one and he was excited, even though he wouldn't be riding bulls or broncs this time around. He had a couple of friends from Texas who would be there competing as well.

After supper he gave Catey Rose a bath while CJ and nanny Sheila Wentworth fed the twin boys, Vinnie and Mike, that were now almost six weeks old. When the kids were tucked in, he and CJ were snuggling in the recliner together arguing over what movie to watch when his cell phone rang. "Hey, Michael."

"Houston, I hate to interrupt your evening but the Chief has requested your help." LAPD Lieutenant Michael Hoyt was working his way through traffic toward the LA Special Events Arena that was a few blocks west of Houston's office.

"Uh oh." As he sat up in the recliner, CJ slid off of his lap onto the couch cushion. "What happened?"

"Amos Kennon is dead at the Arena." Michael knew that his friend was slated to participate in the rodeo and that he knew who the country singer was.

"You're kiddin' me. He's supposed to be playing two concerts at the rodeo this weekend." Slipping on his boots, the PI headed back through the house and retrieved his Glock and holster that were in the bedroom closet, strapping it on before coming back down the hallway.

"Nope. That's all I know right now, but given the high profile of the victim, the Chief wanted you in on this from the beginning. Not to mention the fact that you might be able to make a little more headway seeing as you're from his home state."

"Alright, I'm on the way." Hanging up he leaned over and gave CJ a kiss, filling her in on what little was known so far.

"Wow...okay, hon. Just be careful. Love you."

"Love you." He kissed her again then went into the kitchen and filled a mug with coffee before heading out to the truck.

On the drive to the arena, Matt thought about Kennon. Born to a ranching family from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, the country music star had bounced around many a road house and bar in the Lone Star State before landing a lucrative recording contract in the late 1970's. He had a string of hits through the next decade before entering rehab for alcohol treatment, then bounced back during the 1990's and had been going strong ever since.

Nearing the arena, the PI pulled down his LAPD ID and clipped it onto the collar of his shirt. After a brief stop at the back entrance to the facility, he was waved on through by an officer and parked next to Michael's car. The parking area held several other vehicles including Kennon's tour bus and the four semis that were used to haul the gear for his shows. As he slid from the truck, CSI techs Bob Wisnewski and Cheryl Crawford pulled in next to him. Giving the pair a hand with carrying some of the cases loaded with equipment, he looked over at Cheryl. "Have you got cold feet yet?"

"No." She gave him a smile. "Did you get tired of people asking you that before you and CJ tied the knot?"

"No, not really. Most folks were too shocked that I had finally pulled my head out of my ass." The comment sent the two techs into a gale of laughter, catching the attention of Hoyt who turned to see the cause.

"Uh huh, should've known you were causing the trouble, PI." He shook his head at Matt.

"You'd be worried about me otherwise, Michael. What exactly have we got here?" Slipping on a pair of nitrile gloves, he and the two techs followed the lieutenant onto the tour bus.

"He's back in the bedroom." The veteran cop led the way back through what was obviously a kitchen area right behind the driver's section, a lounge, then a small bathroom, and a sleeping area. At the very back of the bus a door stood ajar and the group carefully entered the room. On the left hand side was a bathroom complete with shower, while on the opposite side was a large closet. Directly against the back of the bus was a queen size bed where Kennon was lying. "The paramedics pronounced him dead. They're the only ones besides the first officers on the scene to enter the room."

"Who found him?" Matt squatted down and looked at the man's face; if not for the coloration of his skin, he would have thought him asleep.

"His wife." Hoyt watched as Bob and Cheryl began the task of documenting and processing the scene as the PI stepped back out of the way and began looking around the rest of the room. Nothing appeared to be out of place; Kennon's wallet and keys were on the bedside table along with a glass. Taking a whiff, Houston stood back up with a concerned look on his face.

"What?" Michael watched as the PI began looking around the room again.

"Smells like Jack and Coke."

"So?"

"He supposedly doesn't drink anymore."

"Oh..." The cop watched as his friend waited for Cheryl to photograph the clothes that were laying in a heap next to the bed, apparently the ones that Kennon had taken off before climbing under the sheets. Once she was finished and was about to put them into an evidence bag, the PI squatted down and began handing them to her, working his way down to the pair of boots that was sitting underneath.

"And there it is..." Houston pulled a silver flask out of one of the boots, carefully opening it and taking a sniff. "Jack." Engraved on the side was _"To Amos from D."_. After closing it securely he handed it to the tech who bagged and tagged it.

"Guess he fell off the wagon." Hoyt wandered over to the closet. "He wouldn't be the first person in the world to do that."

"No...but I'm surprised anyway." The PI walked over to the closet and began looking at the clothes inside, most of which appeared to be the singing star's but some were women's clothing. He looked at the tags in a couple of the outfits before walking over to the bathroom where Wisnewski was looking around.

"So did you know this guy?" The lab tech looked through the medicine cabinet as he spoke, removing a bottle of Viagra and bagging it.

"Met him a couple of times several years ago. Seemed nice enough." He turned to walk out when something caught his eye. "Whoa..."

"What?" Hoyt was standing at the door.

"Bob, have you gotten a pic of the trash can?"

"No...oh...yeah, that is kind of interesting." After snapping a shot of the can, he reached into it and removed a pregnancy test. "It's positive."

"You can't really go by that." Houston shook his head and walked out as Wisnewski exchanged a puzzled look with Hoyt.

"Why is that?" The tech stuck his head out of the bathroom and watched as the PI continued to look around the room.

"The results can change after a certain amount of time – or at least look like they have." He looked back at the men. "I've kind of had a little experience with those the last couple of years." Grinning he turned away and circled the room again.

"Oh...learn something new everyday I guess." Wisnewski snickered and bagged up the test as well as the rest of the trash in the can.

"I don't see any wounds, but I guess when the Coroner's Assistant gets here we'll know more." Cheryl was taking close up shots of the singer.

"Has any weapon been found?" Houston turned to look at Hoyt.

"Not that I've heard."

"Who was the first officer on the scene?"

"Someone we both know. He's outside." Hoyt gave a slight smile as he went back to the front of the bus while Matt began searching through the other areas. He returned in a minute with Sergeant Luis Sanchez – the former clerk for Hoyt's office who had recently been promoted and transferred back to patrol.

Matt looked up as the two approached. "Hey, Luis. How's it goin', bud?"

"It's been pretty busy."

"You didn't find a weapon laying around anywhere did ya?" The cowboy began looking through the bunks that were built into the side of the bus.

"Nope – no sign of one. But we didn't dig through anything."

"And the wife found him?"

"She did. Seemed pretty upset. She's out in the squad with my partner."

"So give me the rundown." He turned back to the cop.

Pulling out his notebook the sergeant began reading. "911 was called at 6:56. We got the call at 6:58, arrived on scene at 7:01 – same time as EMS. I entered with the paramedics, they checked him out and declared him dead at 7:04. I looked around the room back there a little bit but didn't find a weapon, so we secured the scene for you guys."

"Our boy is all grown up, Michael." Matt winked at the lieutenant as Sanchez cracked up. "Well..." He turned back to one of the bunks and gestured. "Other than a little bit of pot, I haven't found anything here. I'm gonna let Bob know and then I guess go talk to the widow." As he walked toward the back of the bus, Hoyt and Sanchez exited, the PI following a minute later and all three men went to the patrol car where Dotty Kennon was seated looking dazed, her makeup in a mess from tears. "Mrs. Kennon?"

Looking up, she searched his face for a minute and a flicker of recognition crossed her features. "I know you..."

"Yes ma'am, we met a few years back. My name's Matt Houston. I'm an advisor to the LAPD." He squatted down in front of her, his notebook and pen in hand. "I'm sure sorry to hear about your husband."

Tears began falling as the near-sixty year old began crying again. "I just want to know what happened to him."

"I know it's a rough time for you right now, but we could sure use your help trying to figure that out. Can you answer a couple of questions for us?"

"Yes..." She dabbed at her eyes trying to regain control as Luis handed her a bottle of water. "Thank you."

"Mrs. Kennon..." Houston started in.

"Please...just call me Dotty."

"Yes ma'am. Miss Dotty, had your husband been having any medical problems?"

"No."

"Did he have any problems with anyone lately? Were there any threats against him?"

"There are always problems in this business." Anger showed itself as her hands shook. "He had just fired his manager, Monty Likens. They had been together since Amos came out of rehab. Amos thought the world of him, but then his accountant kept finding money coming up short; he and Amos sat down with Monty to talk about it and he just..." She waved a hand. "He exploded. Told both of them to go to hell and stormed out. Amos' lawyer and the accountant advised him to fire him on the spot."

"Have you seen him around here?"

"I just got here right before...before..." She lost it again and Matt looked up at Michael. "Maybe this isn't the best place to talk right now." The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles as well as the sound of running engines and voices were bouncing off the walls of the parking area. Standing up he pulled Michael aside. "How about we take her to my office?"

"Okay, I'll talk to the rest of the crew here; maybe somebody saw or heard something." Hoyt nodded. "Sanchez, you and Waller go with Houston."

"Yes sir."

As the sergeant began to put Mrs. Kennon into the back of the patrol car, a familiar and unwelcome voice could be heard coming from the other side of the crime scene tape. "Sergeant, is Mrs. Kennon under arrest?" Tamara Placer's eyes sparkled with the possibility of a juicy story.

"Luis, she can ride with me." Houston's voice had taken on a deeper, angry tone. "Is that okay with you, Michael?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll talk to you later." He turned and went back to where members of the road crew were being kept separated by other patrol officers and joined Lee Jennings who had already begun interviewing them.

Matt escorted the widow over and helped her into his truck, glaring at Placer as he closed the door and went around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel. Sanchez followed behind him in the patrol car and they pulled out of the arena's parking area, going east on Figueroa toward the Houston Industries Building, the van from Channel 12 thankfully remaining where it was.

"When did you become a policeman?" Dotty Kennon took another sip of water, her hands still shaking as she replaced the cap.

"Well..." The PI grinned. "I'm not a policeman – at least not in LA. I'm a private investigator and get called in as an advisor on some cases – especially high profile cases. But since last December I've been a Detective-Sergeant with Harris County."

"My goodness. You must be busy."

"Yes ma'am, it keeps me hoppin'." The ride to the office was a short one and Houston held the elevator for Sanchez and Waller in the parking garage before they went up to the penthouse offices of Houston Investigations. "Luis, would you help her have a seat over there on the couch? Y'all want some coffee?" He started behind the bar to make a pot.

"Sure." The sergeant escorted her down the steps and waited along with his partner as the PI came over the back of the couch and had a seat.

"Oughta be ready in a couple of minutes." Looking back at the widow he pulled out his notebook again. "Now...you said that your husband and his accountant spoke to Mr. Likens about the missing money. Do you have any contact information for Likens?"

"Yes..." Reaching into her purse she removed a cell phone and began to try to access her contacts but her hands were shaking so badly it wasn't going very well.

"May I?" Houston held out his hand and she turned the device over to him. In a matter of seconds he found a listing for Likens and wrote down all the information. "What about the accountant?"

"He's in there, too: Jeb Stokes." She watched as he found the entry for the man and retrieved the information. "And Jerry Maples is our lawyer."

Matt nodded and found the information, writing it down as well. "Luis, you want to get the coffee? There are cups back there under the bar. Miss Dotty, would you like a cup?"

"No, thank you." She continued to sip on the water, seeming to have calmed down a little but still looking as though she was in shock.

"Okay..." He looked over his notes. "Was there anyone else that he had trouble with recently?"

"No, I don't think so...well, except for..." She paused.

"Who is it?"

"Danna...Danna Sutton. She's one of the backup singers."

"And what exactly was the problem?" He watched as she took another sip and stared at the bottle in her hands.

"She..." Stopping, she began fumbling with a tissue as Luis brought coffee to the PI.

Matt looked up at Sanchez and Waller. "Maybe you boys would like to have a seat at the bar?" Both nodded and walked away. "Now, you were saying..."

"Danna is actually Amos' daughter from a woman that he knew years ago – back when he was drinking so bad." She spoke barely above a whisper and it was obvious that she was embarrassed. "It isn't common knowledge; he tried to keep it quiet. Amos isn't..." She paused, the realization that her husband was deceased coming back to her. "Amos...wasn't the kind of person who did something like that...cheated, you know. He was drinking and..." The conversation stopped.

"Well, that does happen sometimes. Were they having a disagreement about something?"

"She wanted him to acknowledge her – publicly. He was afraid that his fans would be disappointed in his...lapse of judgement."

"Did she threaten him in any way?"

"Just with announcing it. But he had offered to help her get a recording contract of her own after he retired." She looked back up at him. "Being on the road is not an easy life, Mr. Houston."

"Just call me Houston, okay? I know it's not easy. I've got a couple of friends in the business. So he was thinking about calling it quits?"

"He was...thinking about it. He hadn't fully decided. That was part of his disagreement with his agent as well. Monty thought that he should hold off for a couple more years, but Danna was pushing him to retire."

"That could sure enough make for some tensions. Was there anything else?"

"That was enough. He's been upset..." She stopped, the tears threatening to surface again. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Here..." Reaching into his pocket he removed one of his cards. "If you think of something else you can call me. And this..." He wrote Hoyt's name and number on the back. "This is the lieutenant's number in case you can't reach me. He's a good guy, okay?"

"Thank you."

"Where will you be staying?"

"At the Stanford Arms on Wilshire."

Matt wrote it down as well as her cell number that he took off of the phone. "We may have some more questions for you later."

"That's fine. I just want you to find out what happened to my Amos."

After a quick call to Hoyt, Matt drove Mrs. Kennon to the hotel and escorted her to her suite before going back to the arena where things were wrapping up. The body had been removed and the tour bus was being towed to the precinct for further processing. Hoyt and Jennings had finished interviewing the other members of the group who were present and were trying to track down those who were elsewhere, and they had gotten copies of the surveillance videos. "Newsflash, PI: Kennon was shot in the heart. The Coroner's Assistant said death was nearly instantaneous. There was hardly any blood on the sheets."

"And he was laying kind of on his left side and belly." Matt thought. "What about Danna Sutton?"

Michael checked his notes. "We haven't been able to make contact with her just yet. The tour manager is trying to locate her now." Lowering his voice as they walked back to their vehicles, the cop looked around. "What's the deal with Sutton?"

"She's his daughter – born on the wrong side of the sheets."

"Oh..." He listened as the PI gave him the details. "Very interesting. We definitely need to find her."

Matt leaned against the hood of his truck. "Have you watched the videos yet?"

"No, I'm about to go to the office. Speaking of which, your favorite reporter is still here – and her cameraman is filming you again."

"Maybe it will be the last time."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell you about it later. See ya at the office." Getting behind the wheel of the truck, the PI noticed that it was about 9:30. He followed Michael out of the arena and cursed under his breath as the van from Channel 12 pulled out right on his tail. When they reached the precinct the PI automatically hit the stairs as did Michael and Jennings when they saw the news van pull up outside.

"Hardly see you in the cowboy boots anymore." Lee held the door for the lieutenant.

"I was working with Jasper earlier and they were handy."

"So how do you think you'll do at the rodeo?" Michael poured coffee for the other two men and then himself, looking up as the elevator chimed and Tamara Placer and her cameraman emerged. "Office – quick." The three hustled inside, Matt and Lee closing the blinds as Michael locked the door. Seeing the disgusted look on his friend's face the cop went back to his original question of the rodeo.

"If he doesn't have a problem with the crowd we should do real good." Matt took a sip as he pulled a chair around behind the cop's desk.

"You're riding in that?"

"Yep – calf roping."

"Not bull riding?"

"Not anymore."

Hoyt spoke up as he loaded the video on the computer. "CJ squashed that idea I bet."

"Shut up, cop." The PI pretended not to hear the snickers as he took a sip.

"So now we look at the video." He clicked the mouse. "Here we go. Kennon's bus got there at 5:58." They watched as four people exited the bus, none of which were Amos Kennon.

"The first guy off was the driver, Clay Madsen. I talked to him." Jennings pointed to the man on the screen. "He says he left with the other drivers and went out to eat." The three watched as he did just that.

"Second person off was Wendy Foss, one of the backup singers. She and the next guy – Chris Canton left together in a cab. We haven't been able to get in contact with them yet. According to Madsen they're engaged."

"And the fourth one off must be Danna Sutton." Hoyt paused the playback and zoomed in so they could get a better look at her. "Madsen says they were the only ones on the bus except for Kennon." He punched play and they watched as Sutton left the arena by herself. The next person on the video was Dotty Kennon, who entered the bus at 6:54 and came out obviously upset at 6:59.

"What about the other members of the band?" Matt took another sip and looked toward the outer office as the voice of Tamara Placer could be heard. The other two men looked up as the voice of Detective Gabriella Giovanni could be heard, the tone of the squad's newest member indicating her irritation. The three men exchanged a look.

"I'll go deal with her." Hoyt sighed as he got up and went to the door of his office, quickly closing it behind him.

"Better him than me." Jenkins rolled his eyes. "Anyway, the rest of the guys in the band use this semi – it's like a tour bus inside. Never seen one of these before. The sides pop out when it's stationary – kind of like those RV's."

"Not bad." The PI nodded. "Almost as comfortable as home – until somebody slams on the brakes." Both men chuckled as they went through the rest of the video. None of the other band members had approached Kennon's bus. Houston stood up and popped his back as he walked over to the window. He turned to look at the door as Hoyt's voice was raised in anger out in the lobby. "I'm going home. I don't think we're going to get anywhere on this until we find Sutton and the others and hear back from the ME."

"What about the Piranha?" Jennings used the term that Houston had come up with for Placer.

"Maybe she'll run that mouth until she ends up biting herself." The PI downed the rest of the coffee, threw his cup in the trash, and went out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Wednesday morning Matt headed to the police station after meeting with lawyer Trent McDaniel and signing the agreement to drop the suit against Tamara Placer. As he exited the elevator, Hoyt looked up from the coffee pot. "Feeling brave today? I see you took the elevator."

"Hopefully I won't have to worry about that anymore." Houston took the cup of coffee from the lieutenant's hand before he could even take a sip from it, receiving a snarl and causing new clerk Merlin Jackson to crack up. The PI spun around and went into Hoyt's office, all the while hearing the cop curse under his breath. As he stood looking out over the traffic, Michael entered the office.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning." The lieutenant sat down behind his desk and took a sip of the brew.

"I just signed some papers to end the lawsuit – and part of the agreement is that she can't come anywhere near the office or the ranch."

"Doesn't mean she won't be able to harass you at a crime scene – or here for that matter."

"No...but the folks at Channel 12 think that it might look bad on them if I should happen to win. Somehow I've got a feeling she's going to be behaving a little better."

"And I've got a feeling you're being too optimistic. Be that as it may..." He leaned back in the chair and took another sip. "We're still looking for Danna Sutton."

"What about the others?"

"They've all been accounted for and interviewed by Gabby. She worked most of the night on the case."

"You're sounding like a proud father." Houston took up his usual seat on the couch, his feet propped on the coffee table.

"Cute."

"I think you like having a lady detective in the squad."

"Male or female makes no difference." The cop straightened a stack of folders as the PI looked at him over the coffee cup. "What?"

"Nothin'." He watched as the veteran cop rolled his eyes and turned away, continuing to straighten up the cluttered desk, mumbling under his breath and causing the PI to grin.

There was a knock at the door and Lee stuck his head inside. "The ME must have been a fan – we've got the report back." He entered as his boss waved him in. "Kennon was shot in the heart. The doc doesn't think he felt a thing. It was a .22. Also..." He flipped a page. "His blood alcohol level was .23."

"He probably wasn't feeling much of anything _before_ he was shot." Matt shook his head. "And it would take more than that little flask he had in his boot to do that." Getting up, he walked to the window. "I didn't find a bottle anywhere on that bus. What about Cheryl and Bob?"

"Don't know." Michael picked up his phone and called the lab, asking if either tech had found a whiskey bottle. Shaking his head at the PI, he listened. "Okay, thanks." Hanging up, he leaned back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. "It appears that Kennon had company in his bed before he died."

Jennings sat down in the chair across from his boss. "Oh?"

"The sheets that were taken from his bed contained two samples of DNA; the ME also collected a sample from the body." He watched as Houston turned to look at him. "It was from a female. There were also some hairs collected from the sheets. Cheryl's running them now."

"So some woman – not his wife – was in bed with him." Houston stood up and went back to the window. "And Kennon was touring with the charity rodeo. They had just wrapped up in Flagstaff, right?"

Hoyt checked his notes and nodded. "That's what the tour manager, Leslie Hamblen, said."

"I'm sure they stopped somewhere along the way. We need to talk to the driver. What was his name – Madsen?" Matt downed the last of the coffee and tossed the cup away.

"Uh huh. He's staying at the Hilton on Grand. Room 664." The cop stood up, taking a last sip of the coffee. "Care to join me?"

"Sure." The pair left the office and went down to the parking garage. "Hang on a minute." The PI stopped by his truck, pulling out a laptop. "Let's see if Danna Sutton has been using a credit card." His fingers flew across the keyboard. "Yep...she's at the Hilton, too – 414." He closed up the computer and stashed it inside the truck before pulling out his Glock and tucking it into the waistband of his jeans.

At the Hilton, they rode up in the elevator, stopping at room 414 first. After knocking several times they finally received a response. "Who in the hell is it?"

"LAPD. We need to speak to you about Mr. Kennon." There was no answer but the door was finally opened a crack, the woman that they had seen on the video from the parking area looking out at the badge that Hoyt held up.

"What about him?"

"Do you mind if we come in?" Hoyt waited for a response and then finally the door was opened wider and the pair entered what looked like a war zone. Clothes were scattered on the bed, loveseat, and chair.

"So what is this about?"

"I take it you haven't been watching TV."

"No."

"I'm sorry to inform you that Mr. Kennon is dead; he was murdered sometime yesterday."

"No." She sat down on the foot of the bed.

"I'm afraid so. We've been looking for you since about 7:00 last night."

"I was shopping...this is a joke, right?" She got up and walked over to the mini-fridge and removed a bottle of water.

"No ma'am." Both watched as she suddenly sat down on the bed again, looking only slightly surprised.

"He was fine yesterday afternoon. Who...?"

"We don't know just yet." Michael was trying to gauge her reaction to the news and couldn't decide if she was still half asleep or not surprised.

"When was the last time you spoke with him?" Houston stepped closer.

"I, uh..." She took a sip of water. "I talked to him about three or so...on the bus."

"Could you tell us who else was on the bus besides yourself?" The PI caught her looking away and snuck a look at the label inside one of the outfits on the loveseat.

"Wendy and Chris. And Clay – he was driving. This...this is insane." She began shaking her head.

"How much did Amos have to drink with you yesterday?" Moving a little closer, Matt walked toward the window, catching sight of the tags inside two more outfits thrown across the chair.

"Nothing."

"Mrs. Kennon told us that you're his daughter." He turned back to face her.

"I am." She gave him a hard look. "I'm surprised Saint Dotty would admit that." Taking another drink, she ran her hand through her hair.

"And did you have any problems with Mr. or Mrs. Kennon?" Michael tried to distract her as Matt began moving around the room again.

"Him – no. Her...well, let's just say she wasn't happy to find out that Amos had any other children."

"I take it you two didn't get along?"

"Not really. Oh, she's civil enough, but just barely."

"We'll need you to come down to the station and make a statement."

"Does it have to be now?"

"Wouldn't you rather get it over with?" Houston turned back toward the other two and moved toward the door.

"I've got something to do this morning. Can I do it later?"

Hoyt could tell from the way his friend was acting that he had spied something of interest. "We would prefer now."

"Fine." She waved her hand dismissively and went to the door, opening it for the pair. "I've got to get dressed."

"We'll be waiting just outside." Both men stepped out into the hallway, just barely exiting the room before the door was slammed. Houston went down the hall several feet and Michael followed. "What did you see?"

"You mean besides the fact that she didn't seem terribly upset? The clothes in there are the same size and brand as what was in Kennon's closet...and there was a pregnancy test in the garbage can."

"It could be since she was his daughter that he was letting her put some of her things in the closet. I doubt if the others have much room on the bus."

"Maybe..." Houston looked toward the doorway of 414. "But why would she be taking a pregnancy test in his bathroom?"

"Privacy?" Hoyt shrugged.

"I don't know, Michael. Does she seem upset to you?"

"Not really."

"Colder'n a witches titty in a brass bra if you ask me. Something just isn't right." He turned and walked a short distance away as Michael worked his way through the statement and then broke out in laughter. Matt pulled out his phone. "Hey, Babe. Whatcha doin'?" He listened for a minute. "Think you can run a check on somebody for me?" After giving her the information he talked to Catey Rose for a minute and then hung up.

Hoyt watched as the PI began pacing, a habit that signalled that he was deep in thought. Pulling out his phone again, he placed another call, this one to Cheryl Crawford. "Hey. Can I get you to do something?...Would you compare the DNA from the pregnancy test and what was recovered from the sheets and Kennon's body?...Uh huh. Thanks, hon." He hung up and saw the look that crossed the cop's face.

Lowering his voice the cop spoke. "She's his daughter."

"Maybe she is and maybe she isn't. I'm voting on isn't."

Twenty minutes later, Sutton emerged from the room and rode to the station with the two men. Although they tried to get more information from her, she kept repeating what she had already said and Hoyt finally typed up her statement, and Matt managed to get the bottle of water that she was sipping on in the office and took it to Cheryl for testing. After escorting Sutton back to the hotel, the two went up to the sixth floor to interview Clay Madsen, the bus driver for Kennon.

"I still can't believe it." Madsen had a seat on the foot of the bed after welcoming the detectives. "I've been driving for Amos since 1986."

"That was back in his drinking days, wasn't it?" Matt watched the driver carefully, noting that he seemed far more upset than Danna Sutton.

"Lord, yes. He was a mess back then. Missed a few shows because he was passed out on the bus. That's what finally got him into rehab. The record label threatened to drop him and he got sued by a few of the stadiums and auditoriums where he stood 'em up." He looked down at the bottle of water in his hands. "We made a deal; both of us would quit drinking. I, uh..." Shrugging he looked back up at the pair. "I would knock back a few myself. Had a couple of close calls out on the road right around that time. Didn't go to rehab myself – just didn't pick up the bottle anymore." In a subdued tone he spoke again. "I was the one who dropped him off at the clinic. He and Miss Dotty were having a rough patch right then."

"What do you know about Danna Sutton?" Michael shifted on the loveseat and watched as the driver's eyes widened a little bit and he stammered.

"Mrs. Kennon has already told us." Matt waited.

"Oh, well..." He shrugged. "Amos felt real bad about that. He didn't even find out about her until three years ago when she showed up and told him."

"Mr. Madsen, do you know if Amos had a paternity test run?" The PI leaned forward.

"I..." He started to speak and then stopped. "Well, he's gone now so I don't guess it matters any. No, he didn't. He confided in me about Danna. Said he felt awful because she hadn't had a daddy all those years and felt like he owed her. He got upset with me when I suggested they get a test done. Told me that he had already let his fans down with the drinking and he didn't want them to think he was a deadbeat dad."

"So you two were pretty close."

"Yeah, I guess we were. A few years back my wife was diagnosed with cancer. He gave me time off – paid – to take her to treatment. And he was right there for me when I buried her a year later."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks." The driver got up and began walking around the room. "Being on the road with Amos has been my life ever since. I don't even have a house anymore. We're gone so much..." He stopped, his voice cracking. "But I guess that's all over now. I miss him already."

The two detectives exchanged a look. "Mr. Madsen, would you mind going to the station so that we can type up your statement and get you to sign it?"

"Sure, no problem."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

After the interview with Clay Madsen, Matt decided to go back to his office and was pleasantly surprised to find his secretary, Chris Chase, back at work. "Hey, there! I'd forgotten today was the day. Welcome back."

"Thanks. It feels kind of weird to be here and not at home with Lilly." Chris and her husband Murray were now the proud parents of eight week old Lilly Catherine and had asked Matt and CJ to be god-parents.

"Well, she's close by and if you get too lonesome you can always go downstairs to the daycare and say howdy."

"I made a pot of coffee – wasn't sure if you would be in or not but after I heard about Amos Kennon last night I had a feeling you would." She gave him a smile.

"Boy, that's a mess." His phone began to ring. "Hey, Babe." Turning he went into the main part of the office and poured a cup of coffee for himself and took one to the secretary as well while CJ began telling him what she had on Danna Sutton.

"Danna was born July 8, 1988 in Grand Junction, Colorado to Theresa Sutton – but the father wasn't listed on the birth certificate."

"Uh huh..." He sat down on the couch. "What about the mom?"

"Theresa Sutton was a 23 year old waitress in a bar when she got pregnant. At the time that Danna was born she was working in a burger joint."

"Do you have the name of the bar?"

"I do." She scrolled down. "It was a place called the Bar J – but it's no longer in business. I do have a call in to one of the former owners; haven't heard back just yet."

"Okay, what's she doing these days?"

"She's not: she died in an auto accident in 2006."

"Great. That just put another kink in the case." He blew out a breath. "Okay, what about Danna?"

"She graduated from high school in 2006 about three weeks before her mom was killed. She bounced around from job to job for a few years and then in 2011 she became one of Amos Kennon's backup singers."

"I don't get it; unless he remembered having a fling with Theresa Sutton why would he accept Danna as his daughter?"

"Maybe he did remember it."

"CJ, this guy was worth millions; I don't know of anybody who would just accept that they had fathered a child with a fling without a paternity test. It just doesn't add up."

"Maybe he had one done."

"No, I don't think so. His bus driver said Kennon got upset with him for even suggesting it when Danna showed up. They were pretty tight."

"I don't know, hon. Maybe he thought he was doing the right thing. Have you heard anything about the bullet?"

"Not yet." He walked out onto the patio of the penthouse suite and told his wife about Sutton's shopping spree and the fact that the clothing was the same brand and size as the women's clothing that was in Kennon's closet. "And then there's the pregnancy test that was in her hotel room."

"Hon, that still doesn't mean that she wasn't his daughter."

"I don't know. Just seems strange to me." He leaned on the wall. "Have you found any evidence of Danna having a boyfriend?"

"No, but I'll do some more looking around. Call you later."

"Thanks. Love you."

"Love you, Cowboy." She hung up and immediately began looking through some of the social media websites trying to see what Danna had been posting about her love life.

"Working on your tan?" Michael walked out onto the patio.

"Not really. I think I'm just chasing my tail." Sitting down at the table he tapped on it with his finger as he spoke. "If you were a star and found out you had a child out of wedlock...wouldn't you have a chat with your lawyer?"

"I would – and have him or her set up a paternity test."

"But Kennon refused the test. I wonder if he talked to the lawyer about it – or his agent?"

"One way to find out: we talk to them. I also contacted the police in Austin. Monty Likens and Jeb Stokes have solid alibis."

"I think we need to talk to Dolly Kennon again, too." Matt got up and went back over to the wall and looked across the LA skyline.

"You know the lawyer probably won't have much to say to us – attorney-client privilege. But if Mrs. Kennon should be with us..."

"Maybe he would say more? Or maybe not." The PI began pacing back and forth.

"Much as I hate to say it, you're overlooking a possible suspect." Michael had a seat at the table.

"Who?"

"When one spouse is murdered the surviving spouse is always suspect number one, PI; you know that."

"I really don't think so, Michael."

"We should have had her checked for GSR yesterday. I'm slipping almost as bad as you are." The cop was surprised by the almost angry look that the PI gave him.

"If you really think she did it test the clothes that she had on." He stared at the cop for a minute, neither speaking. Hoyt was taken aback by the reaction.

"You said you met the Kennons a few years ago; just how well did you know them? Do you need to remove yourself from the case?"

"I don't really know them, I just..." Houston stopped his pacing and dropped down in the chair across from his friend. "I don't think she did it."

"Look, she seems like a very nice lady who has been caught up in a bad situation. All I'm saying is that in any other case, we would have checked the widow's hands and clothing for GSR – just to rule her out."

"I know...I'm sorry. But I really don't think she did it. And look at it: she got to the bus at 6:54. The 911 call came in at 6:56. If she did it, she walked on the bus, shot him, and hit 911 as soon as she pulled the trigger, Michael." Both men were quiet for a minute. "Wait a minute..." The PI got up and started pacing again. "What did the ME say the time of death was?"

Hoyt pulled out his notebook and looked. "I don't have that." He called Jennings and relayed the news to Matt. "The ME said approximately 3:45 to 4:45. Thanks, Lee." Hanging up he looked at the PI. "So I guess Mrs. Kennon is out of the picture. You were right."

"But you know what? We still don't know where the booze came from and where the bottle went. It wasn't anywhere on that bus. And for him to have that alcohol level..." Matt stopped his pacing and thought about it a little bit more. "I think I know where the bottle went. Come on."

The pair went down to the parking garage, each taking their own vehicle as Hoyt followed Matt to the Stanford Arms on Wilshire Boulevard where Dotty Kennon was staying. After knocking on the door, it was answered quickly by a man in his fifties who looked particularly perturbed. "I told you people..."

"Lt. Hoyt – LAPD." The lieutenant put his ID back in his pocket. "We need to speak with Mrs. Kennon."

"She's too distraught..."

"It's okay, Jerry. Let them in." Dotty Kennon was sitting in a chair inside the suite and as Matt and Michael entered, she looked up at them.

"Miss Dotty, I'm sorry to bother you right now, but we really need to ask you something."

"Please – have a seat." She looked at the pair, her eyes finally landing on Matt.

"Ma'am..." Houston looked down at his boots for a second and then straight into her eyes. "Where did you put the whiskey bottle?" A slight amount of shock showed in her eyes and then the tears started.

"How dare you accuse her of anything?" Maples, the lawyer, was quickly by her side.

"No..." Patting on the man's hand the widow shook her head. "He's right. I took it." Sniffling she pointed to the bedroom of the suite. "It's in the garbage in there. I'm sorry. He just didn't want people to think bad of him. It seemed like the last thing I could do for him." She broke down then as Hoyt called Cheryl to come pick it up.

"So he had started drinking again." The PI's voice was very quiet and Dotty nodded, wiping away more tears with a tissue.

"Amos left it alone until about eighteen months ago. Then I noticed one night when he called me that he sounded kind of...well, he was slurring his words. Not real bad, but I knew. He said it had been a real bad week and he had a cold." She shrugged. "Even with all the medicines out on the market today..."

"Sometimes nothing works but a good slug of whiskey. I know." Houston nodded, smiling slightly. "It's just how some of us grew up."

"I knew you would understand." She dabbed at her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I know I shouldn't have done it, but we've been married for..."

"Dotty, don't say another word." The lawyer moved between her and the two detectives.

"No, I don't have anything to hide. I moved the bottle; I'll accept the consequences."

"You don't need to be talking to these men right now; you're not thinking..."

"They've been nothing but nice to me since all of this happened, Jerry. Now sit down." Flabbergasted, the lawyer took a seat on the couch.

"Miss Dotty, I know it's not something that you like to think about, but did your husband have a paternity test done when he found out about Danna?"

"No. He...he said that he was sure about it." She looked ashamed once again.

"Detective, is this really necessary?" The lawyer gave him a reproachful stare.

"Sir, we're trying to figure out who killed Mr. Kennon. I believe he's past the point of being embarrassed about his daughter." Houston turned his attention to the lawyer. "And since you're here, Mr. Maples, could you tell us exactly what happened between Mr. Kennon and his agent? Miss Dotty said that his accountant was concerned about missing money."

"I...that's protected."

"Jerry, please tell them what you know. Amos wouldn't mind."

After a moment's pause, the lawyer started in. "Amos and Monty had an agreement; Monty could use one of the business credit cards for entertaining prospective clients. Back a few years ago they were coming to Amos looking to book him at their venues. The last three or four years Monty had to go looking for places that would take the act."

"And that was another reason why he was thinking about retiring." Matt propped his ankle on his knee.

"It was. See, Jeb and Danna had been after him to retire. Jeb sees the numbers and he wanted to pull the plug before the act started running into the red. Danna wanted him to retire so she could get a contract and take over the spotlight. That's all she cares about."

"What about you?" Michael watched the lawyer thoughtfully.

"I think I convinced Amos to call it quits after the tour ends in December. He didn't have any bookings for next year, so it seemed like a good time to quit. But Monty kept after him. Amos was torn – he loved what he was doing but he knew it was coming to an end. Sometimes it's just hard to admit when something you love is over."

"When he told you that Danna was his daughter did you advise him to get a DNA test done?" The PI glanced at Dotty who was staring sadly at the carpet.

Nodding, the lawyer answered. "I did – Amos had too much at stake just to take her word for it. If she was his child and news of it got out his reputation would be soiled."

"Did you advise him to help her get a recording contract?"

"Definitely not. The girl just isn't lead singer material. Oh, she does alright as a backup singer – but she just doesn't have what it takes to carry a show."

"Just out of curiosity, does she have an agent?"

"Uh huh – Monty."

Michael and Houston looked at each other as there was a knock at the door. Maples went to let in Cheryl and the pair decided that they were done with Dotty and the lawyer for the moment. "Miss Dotty, thank you for telling us the truth." Matt stood to leave.

"I'm sorry I didn't sooner – I was trying to protect him."

"Yes ma'am." The PI turned and followed Michael out to the hall as Cheryl went into the bedroom to collect the bottle.

Out in the hallway as they waited for the elevator, both men were silent. On the way down the PI blew out a breath. "Betcha that the money that was disappearing was being spent on Danna."

"Uh huh, I bet you're right."

_**Later that afternoon...**_

"Daddy!" Catey Rose rushed to meet Matt as he exited the truck at the ranch that afternoon.

"Hey, Lady Bug. Have you been a good girl today?" He scooped her up in his arms and received a big hug. "No clogging up toilets?"

"Nuh uh. Been good." She beamed at him.

"What about it, Lil Mama? Has she been good?"

"She's been extra good. Even helped with changing diapers and feeding." CJ was sitting on the swing holding Vinnie as Sheila came out of the house with Mike. Matt leaned down and kissed his wife, then the top of Vinnie's head and then Mike. "So how is the case going?"

"Mmph." The PI shook his head as he sat down in one of the lounge chairs with Catey.

"That good, huh? Think you'll have it wrapped up before Friday?"

"I sure hope so. I've got other things to do this weekend."

"That reminds me – Bo and Lamar said they'll help you practice this evening if you want."

"Think I just might take 'em up on it."

Later on after another hour of practice, Matt put Jasper back into the pasture, took Catey for a ride on Cricket, and then sat on the top rail of the fence smoking a cigar and thinking about the case. The one point that the PI just couldn't get past was that Amos had simply taken Danna at her word that he was her father. Even someone without so much to lose would want to know for sure that they had fathered a child.

He took a long puff on the cigar and looked out at the mountains. Dotty Kennon knew that her husband was drinking again and had removed the bottle from the bus. Danna said that she hadn't been drinking him with him the afternoon that he died, but didn't act like she was surprised that he had been. If both of the women knew that he had been drinking it begged another question: did Clay Madsen know? He hadn't said anything to indicate that he did, and if he and Amos were so close, wouldn't he notice it? Or was he still trying to protect his friend just like Dotty had tried by hiding the bottle?

Sighing, he crushed out the remainder of the cigar and jammed his hands into his pockets as he made his way back up to the house. Someone was lying – that much was obvious. But as to who and why he didn't know.

Thursday morning the PI was making his way into the city when his cell phone rang. "Good mornin'."

"It might be for us, but I don't know about Danna Sutton." Lieutenant Michael Hoyt was sitting behind his desk looking at the report that Cheryl had just sent to him. "She was the person in bed with Amos."

"Whoa."

"The DNA testing also showed that she was not his daughter. But the pregnancy test was hers."

"Ahah, well..." He thought for a minute. "I guess Amos figured it was easier to tell Dotty that she was his daughter instead of his lover. That way his sins would be in the past and he would have an excuse to keep her around."

"So it would seem."

"Mmph. What about the ballistics report?"

"I'm still waiting on it."

"Guess I'll just come over there and skip the office. See you in a little bit."

Once at the station, he stopped by the coffee pot before going into the lieutenant's office and having a seat on the couch, a puzzled look on his face. Michael knew enough about the man to know that he was working through something and just waited. In a moment he learned what it was. "The flask in Amos' boot was engraved _"To Amos from D."_ Which D was it? Dotty or Danna?"

"Since Dotty didn't think he was drinking anymore I would think Danna – unless the flask was from a long time ago."

"But if it was from Danna..." He got up and began pacing. "It would prove that she knew he was drinking. But that still doesn't tell us who shot him."

He plopped back down on the couch and continued to stew over what they had learned about the man and other people on the bus. Although he hadn't interviewed Chris Canton and Wendy Foss himself, the other two backup singers who had been on the bus at the time of the murder, Gabby had said that they had both said that they were in Chris' bunk for most of the afternoon. "I want to talk to Foss and Canton." The PI stood up and popped his back.

"Oh?" The cop leaned back in his chair.

"Uh huh."

"They backed up each other's alibi when interview separately. Canton said they almost got stuck in his bunk." The cop actually giggled, something that didn't happen too often. "And she said they ended up taking a nap – you know – after."

There was a knock at the door and Bob Wisnewski was waved in by the lieutenant. "Oh, good – both of you are here. I just got the testing done on the bullet recovered from Amos Kennon." He handed the file over to Michael and Matt came to stand behind him, reading over his friend's shoulder. "You gotta be kiddin' me." The two exchanged a look.

"I'll arrange for a pick up." Hoyt shook his head, totally blindsided by the news they had just gotten.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Forty five minutes later the two friends entered the interrogation room where Clay Madsen was sitting cuffed to the table, his head down. Michael read him his Miranda rights as both he and Houston had a seat at the table. The only response from the man when asked if he understood the rights was a nod. The cop looked at Matt and then gestured to the driver.

"Clay, tell us what happened." The cowboy kept his voice quiet.

"I..." He stopped and shook his head, the tears starting. "I think he lost his mind. How could he do that?!"

"We weren't there. Tell us what happened."

"I stopped at a truck stop in Needles to refuel. Wendy and Chris went inside and after fueling up, I went back on the bus to ask Amos if he wanted anything from the store. When I knocked on the door he didn't answer so I just figured he was asleep." Madsen paused, wiping away tears. "I went in and he was on her..." Shaking his head violently he began crying harder. "He had to have been drunk. I didn't want to tell Dotty but he was drinking again – pretty heavy. I guess it was the liquor that made him attack Danna."

Matt and Michael exchanged a look. "He and Danna were having sex?"

"No, he was her father! That..." He shook violently. "It was just wrong! I tried to pull him off of her but when that didn't work I...I shot him." The driver completely broke down at that point. "I killed him. I killed him. Should have killed myself, too."

The two detectives left the room, both in shock. "My God..." Michael leaned against the wall. "And she wasn't his daughter. This man killed him thinking that he...oh, my God."

"And that makes her an accessory after the fact." Houston was nearly as shocked as Hoyt. "Wait a minute..." Going back into the room, he sat down across from Madsen.

"Clay, let me ask you something." He watched as the driver nodded and wiped away more tears. "Did Danna ever tell you that there was a problem? That Amos was doing things to her?"

"She didn't come right out and say it exactly, but sometimes she would come up front and sit with me. It gets kind of lonely, especially in the middle of the night when everybody else is asleep and I kind of welcomed the company." He sniffled.

"What exactly did she say to you?"

"That she just couldn't understand why he did it – why he wouldn't just quit."

"But she didn't say what?"

"No, but...well, she would cry and say it was just getting worse. That she didn't know how much more of it she could take. And then she said something about "How could he do that to his own daughter?" That had to be what she was talking about."

"But she never actually came out and said that he had...done that?"

"No, but..." Madsen shrugged. He watched as Matt left the room again.

He met Hoyt as he exited the viewing room. "She set him up, Michael. She set _both _of them up."

"I've heard some cold-hearted things before but this one takes the cake." The lieutenant went out to the squad room and sent Giovanni and Trenton to pick up Danna Sutton. When they arrived with her, she was read her rights and Hoyt began questioning her. "I want you to tell us exactly what happened Tuesday afternoon in Needles."

"I...I have no idea. I was asleep in my bunk the whole time we were driving from Flagstaff."

"No, you weren't." Matt stared across at her, his eyes ablaze with anger.

"Excuse me? You weren't there."

"No, but Clay Madsen was."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" There was a faint flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"It means we know that you were in bed with Amos."

"I..." She paused.

"We also know that he wasn't your father." The PI leaned forward. "The two of you made Dotty Kennon believed that you were his child from an affair he had back when he was drinking heavily."

"So? If she was dumb enough to believe it...There's nothing illegal about that."

"No..." Matt got up and began walking around the small room, stopping right behind the chair she was sitting in. "But making Clay Madsen think that he was molesting you...and then when he walked in on the two of you Tuesday you didn't try to stop him, did you?"

"You're crazy. It didn't happen like that."

"So have you been to the doctor yet?" Michael gave her a cold stare.

"I...what are you talking about?"

"We found your pregnancy test in Amos' bathroom on the bus. Plus you had one in the hotel room. So – are you pregnant with his child?"

"That is none..." A hand slammed down on the table right next to Danna causing her to involuntarily jump. "No...no, I'm not."

"Thank God for small favors." The PI continued walking around. "So how does it feel? You turned a man against his friend of almost thirty years – and now one is dead and the other murdered him."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I want a lawyer." Leaning back in the chair, Sutton glared at both of the men.

Friday evening as he got ready for the rodeo, Matt looked around the arena at the people who were also preparing to take part in the chairity event. He had already spoken to a few folks that he knew and the conversation inevitably turned from the rodeo to what had happened with Amos Kennon. It had put a damper on the event – something that angered Matt and he turned his attention to Jasper in an effort to get the case off of his mind.

Jasper was surprising his owner, who had been slightly worried that the crowd of strangers would cause the stallion to be nervous. On the contrary, he seemed to be highly interested in everyone and everything that was going on around him. When one of the organizers of the event brought a group of children through the area where the cowboy had just gotten the horse groomed and saddled, they stopped and began asking question after question and were admiring Jasper who seemed to soak up the attention like a sponge, allowing the children to pet on him and even begging for more attention. When they left, Matt began walking him out to the ring where they would make a few laps around to warm up. "Boy, I believe you're about rotten when it comes to kids." The horse just snorted in reply. Once in the aisleway that led into the ring, he swung up into the saddle and rode out into the arena, a familiar high-pitched whistle catching his ear. Quickly looking in the direction that it had come from, he spied his family up in the stands. CJ waved and smiled at him as Paul Novelli held up one of the twins and Kathy Hoyt the other. Catey was standing on a bleacher with the help of Sheila cheering and pointing at him, and Michael Hoyt and his wife Anne clapped as he and Jasper made their rounds.

A little while later, the competition began and a slight case of nervousness came across the cowboy as he waited his turn. There were fifteen teams competing in the calf roping that night and only five would make it into the final round for Saturday. Looking out at the spectators he saw a section that was filled with the kids who would benefit from all the money raised that night and it occurred to him that it didn't really matter if he and Jasper won that night; the real winners would be the kids who would get the medical help that they needed because of the money that was being raised. The horse stuck his head over the cowboy's shoulder, bumping him with his nose. "Let's just have some fun tonight, Jasper. If we win that's just a bonus. What do ya think, boy?" He received a harder bump from the horse and in a couple of minutes they were in the chute awaiting the release of the calf, the cheering of the crowd in their ears.


End file.
